Aldi says its delivering roughly $86 million in savings through early November across seasonal produce, organic products and lean proteins, cementing its value-focused positioning for increasingly budget-conscious consumers.
The discounted retailer’s seasonal price cuts arrive as industry experts expect grocery inflation to reaccelerate later this year amid rising transportation and other supply-chain costs.
Beginning Sept. 23 through at least Nov. 3, the retailer is lowering prices on dozens of products including Honeycrisp apples, which are now priced at $1.99 per pound and 35% lower than last year, and its private label Kirkwood chicken breast family packs at $1.99 per pound, their lowest everyday price since 2022, according to Aldi. The company said the latest reductions mean nearly one-third of products on Aldi shelves are now priced lower than they were a year ago.
The company’s business model centers around a combination of smaller stores, limited but curated assortments from national brands and a heavy reliance on private labels, and lean operations that provide lower prices on shelves.
“As shoppers head into Fall routines and healthier habits, we’re making additional investments to lower prices on our better-for-you favorites, building on the value customers already see throughout our stores,” Scott Patton, Aldi’s chief commercial officer, said in a statement.
Competing against major retailers through more store expansions
The latest investment comes as Aldi continues to expand across the US.
The retailer plans to open 180 stores this year, adding to a footprint that now exceeds 2,600 locations nationwide.
At the same time, some larger grocery competitors, such as Kroger and Albertsons have been closing unprofitable stores. However, private label innovation and offerings continue to surge in grocery, including Kroger’s 2026 launch of 24 new protein products under its Simple Truth brand earlier this year.
The trend of retailers increasing private label offerings may also reflect continued consumer demand for these products. Aldi’s assortment is built around store brands, while conventional grocers that have historically relied more heavily on national brands are increasingly investing in their own private label portfolios to compete on value.
Ingredient bans across private label assortment
Beyond price, Aldi also is strengthening its value proposition by addressing controversial ingredients concerning consumers.
Earlier this year, the company announced plans to expand its restricted ingredient list from 13 to 57 ingredients by 2027, a move that will affect roughly 90% of its private-label assortment.
The expanded restrictions include ingredients such as acesulfame K, advantame and aluminum sodium sulfate, building on existing bans that already include monosodium glutamate, potassium nitrate and propylene oxide, among many others.
The effort echoes growing retailer efforts to respond to consumer concerns about controversial ingredients, such as Whole Foods Markets’ ban on more than 300 ingredients. Although Aldi’s policy applies to its private-label products rather than across the entire stores’ assortment.
